The Ageing and the Labour Market in the Nordic Countries: A Literature Review

The labour market situation of the ageing has become an issue of critical importance in the Nordic countries. All of the countries face similar challenges in the future, namely a growing proportion of people on pension and ageing of the work force. This publication presents an overview of the situation. Issues addressed include demographic trends, unemployment and employment rates, early exit and its pathways, national initiatives, and age discrimination. The acuteness of the situation in the near future arises from the fact that later exit from work constitutes one of the few major labour reserves available in the Nordic countries. The chronically unemployed are another such reserve. The Nordic economies will have some breathing room in the next 5-10 years. During this time, the problems caused by an ageing population will not hit with their full weight. At the time being, there are still great lacks of knowledge when it comes to the basis of future decisions. If the essential reforms are delayed, it might be the case that we will not be able to afford them anymore in the future. This publication aims at giving an up-to-date synthesis of what we know on the Nordic level on the basis of statistics and previous research. However, what we do not know is at least as important. This issue is also taken up here.